


Between the Moments

by Pandalorian



Category: Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic
Genre: Drama & Romance, F/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-05
Updated: 2015-10-05
Packaged: 2018-04-24 21:42:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4936384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pandalorian/pseuds/Pandalorian
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rynette knew her family's past ties to the Republic were dangerous, and the most likely reason for her mother's death on Korriban. Now, she is given a chance for revenge, but only if she survives long enough to see it through.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Between the Moments

**Author's Note:**

> An attempt at a story for my Sith Warrior, using the in-game storyline as a foundation. Liberties taken with in-game dialogue and characters, possible future graphic violence and/or smut, and most likely incoming spoilers for the SW story. (It's still very early in development - I tried to tag anything I know with certainty will be included.)
> 
> Lastly, first time submission of anything like this for peer review, so any 'n all feedback would be most welcome!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rynette prepares to leave for Korriban, discusses family history with her father.

Rynette Sholah stood in her small room, giving one last look over her collected possessions. A life of near-constant travel since before she could remember had led to little accumulation, but what she had, she cherished. And now, it was time to pack them up once again. Several changes of clothes were already neatly folded in her travel case, accompanied by her personal hygiene kit, a spare pair of boots, small tool kit, small emergency medical kit, personal datapad, and a small, squat cylindrical-shaped object.

Ryn smiled at the object, tracing one finger along the dark metal and bright purple crystalline latticework. Her own personal holocron, a gift from her father when they left Coruscant so many years ago, which she had used to record brief moments in time throughout their journey across the stars. _Being an expert historian_ , he had smiled broadly, hazel eyes twinkling in the dim lights of the transport ship as he handed the holocron to young Rynette, _meant he knew when important moments in history would soon be happening, and who would be making them happen. That’s how he knew his daughter was absolutely one of those people who would help shape galactic history_ , (even if she was only almost-four years old at the time.) Her mother had laughed softly at this, saying they would only be giving their little girl delusions of grandeur. Her gray eyes sparkled like starlight, though, full of hope, love, and pride, as they watched Rynette accept the gift with youthful glee. None of them had realized at the time that this moment was now the first entry in the holocron's database, only ceasing to record after the trio had turned their attentions to the viewport, watching the lights of Coruscant fade below them until the stars, and then the swirling rush of hyperspace, swallowed them completely.

A light tapping against her collarbone brought Rynette out of her reverie, and she realized she'd been standing there for several minutes while lost in thought, rubbing a small star-shaped pendant between her thumb and forefinger. This, too, was a gift from her parents. It came about a year later, but this one had also come with a hefty price - the loss of her mother.

Rynette shook herself. _There isn't enough time left in the present to be getting so lost in the past like this_ , she mentally scolded herself, and resumed her examination. Frowning at the case, she chewed her lower lip and wondered what else to take with her. What would be acceptable, and more importantly, what would be necessary, for studying on Korriban? _Korriban... where Mom died..._ Rynette sighed, realizing she wasn't going to be getting anywhere here except lost in her own thoughts. Calling it good, and figuring she could always send a quick message to her father if she forgot anything, she sealed the case shut, carried it out to the living quarters of the small apartment, and set it near the door.

"Heading out already then? You know the transport won't be leaving until morning, right? You'll have, oh, at least a ten-hour wait out there..."

The voice of her father, still retaining traces of a Republican accent despite spending over a decade traveling Imperial space, brought a sad smile to Rynette's lips. Quickly schooling herself to master the stab of fear at leaving him, and this life, behind come morning, she turned to greet him with an overly-theatrical groan and smirk. "For fifteen _years_ I've been jumping ships, trying to escape to the intergalactic circus." Her smirk turned into a full grin, gray eyes dancing with mischief. "I suppose the Sith Academy and then Imperial service is the next best thing..."

Her father grunted a small laugh, nodding in agreement as he poured two snifters of Alderaanian brandy. Ryn took the moment to examine him, considering how those fifteen years had changed him. He was still tall and fit, if not overly lean anymore, and his flame-colored hair had begun to fade at the temples. But for all his forty-something years, there were few lines or other signs of middling age on his face. Only the creases around his eyes had deepened, most notable when he smiled. There did, however, seem to be a permanent furrow to his brow and shadow of stubble over his jaw that Rynette hadn't seen since her mother’s passing, and that troubled her. She smiled warmly at him, accepting the drink as they settled comfortably into two overstuffed chairs, practically the only furniture in the sparse living quarters, aside from a small table between them, which Rynette used to set her drink on after the first sip. Taking a moment to savor the spicy liquid, she let the warmth spread through her before breaking the companionable silence with her questions.

"Dad, before I leave, I think I should know... What happened? I mean, what _really_ happened back then, on Coruscant and then on Korriban?" She glanced down, picking at a stitch in the chair's arm, her voice catching as she spoke words that had been buried by pain and time. "Why did Mom die...?"

"Your mother," he sighed, taking a slow sip of brandy as he settled into his chair, then took a deep breath. "Where to begin..." He grunted, settling himself further into the cushions. "Well, she was probably never truly meant to be in the Order - too spirited, stubborn, and argumentative. But, they couldn't deny she had a firm grasp on the Light side, and an even better grasp on her Force abilities. I guess the tipping point, though, was Ord Mantell. The Republic Military awarded her with a medal to honor her bravery in saving Elite Squad 294, who would have otherwise been crushed by the collapse of Mantellian Offices, Inc. building 7 during the fighting." It sounded as though he had memorized the letter attached to the medal, and as Rynette knew, he most likely had. He pointed to her, "You knew that already, though. Told you that necklace was special, and not just because it was your mother's. It shows you what sort of person your mother was, what sort of ideals she wanted you to understand." Ryn nodded, her hand rising immediately to rub the well-worn medal, and remembered when her father had explained the pendant's significance. He'd said that it was a symbol of hope and honor, and proved that doing the right thing was never as simple as just following orders.

"When she heard that both the Republic military and Separatists were bombing the cities, she knew she had to act fast. Her sister, you remember your Aunt Neesie, right?” Ryn nodded, smiling at the childhood memories of her mother's younger sister, (so alike physically yet so different in personality), and he continued. “Anyhow, at the time, she was teaching in the Avilatan region, which was about as close to front lines as you could get once the fighting started. But, the Jedi Council had instructed all Knights to follow the policy of 'non-interference regarding the local government dispute.'” He actually made the gesture of quotations in the air and a stiff, pompous tone, but Ryn could still hear the bitterness behind it. “She couldn't just leave her sister there, though, so," he shrugged, "off she went. Orders be damned, she saved that group of soldiers, her sister, a couple other civilians, and twelve children."

He tossed a small wink at his daughter, his hazel eyes twinkling, "You know, Renny, you owe her for more than just your looks." Rynette chuckled, raising her glass in a small, silent toast before sipping. She leaned against one arm on the chair, waiting for him to continue. He looked into his own glass, musing a moment before taking a swallow. "She was gifted, that was for damn sure... Had this way of manipulating objects, even living tissue, with the Force that looked as easy to her as breathing. She tried explaining to me how it all worked and what it looked like in her mind; sounded beautiful and terrifying at the same time...” Ryn caught the small shudder that ran through him, and glanced down to her hands. She knew he had never been completely comfortable with her ancestral “talents”, but she had always thought his dislike stemmed more from the fear of them being discovered, not from a fear of her actual powers. “Anyhow, she managed to ease everyone, even the little ones, into a controlled stasis through the Force, _and_ kept the rubble from crushing them all for just under a week until an excavation team arrived."He chuckled, and despite his discomfort, Ryn could feel his pride shining through. "And boy, were they surprised to find anyone left alive, heh, let alone a bunch of school children, soldiers, teachers, and one near-comatose Jedi."

He smirked sadly and went on. "As I said, for her actions the Republic military awarded her that medal you're wearing, the Star of Bravery, and twelve children were able to be reunited with their families, well... those that still had families," he amended with a touch of sorrow. A moment passed before he continued. "And, for her efforts, the Jedi Council awarded her with a formal reprimand for even being planetside during the conflict. Said it went against their mandate to not get involved. She couldn't imagine how saving lives could ever be interpreted as a bad thing, but orders were orders according to the Council, and an official rebuke was placed on her record. They instructed her to report to the Masters on Manaan, to help monitor and safeguard the kolto production facilities." He sighed again, leaning back in his chair. "It was a humiliating demotion, and everyone knew it. She was meant to be leading the charge, not playing ceremonial guard to a bunch of automated systems."

His eyes fogged over somewhat as he remembered the past, a sad and wistful smile forming. "Your mother... always strove to do what was right, not for some grand, idealized Republic government, but for the people that were its formation; it was always the individuals who mattered to her." He took a thoughtful swallow of brandy before going on. "She told me once that this had been a philosophical debate she'd had with her Masters since training as a padawan, and although they'd passed her through the trials, it was always something the Council would feel the need to address during briefings. They never failed to add on a 'final reminder' regarding overall mission objectives outweighing individual or personal concerns. She felt their true power was getting lost in this 'for the greater good' mentality; that too many people, both Force-users and Force-blind, were sacrificing parts of themselves to the Dark in the name of the Republic's best interests. Not literally, of course, but by simply choosing to look the other way as innocents suffered in the name of ‘non-interference’, she felt this was slowly tainting the Light in their collective souls." He shrugged, leaving the philosophy for a later time. "All of that just exemplifies how she never quite fit in with the Order, how she knew she'd never truly advance in the ranks, let alone be permitted to rise to Master status herself. But, she wanted to help change the galaxy for the better, and until you came along, she felt the Jedi were her only option."

Rynette nodded, trying to crush a small pang of guilt. "So that was why she left the Order, then, for me? When I started to show signs of Force sensitivity, she wanted me to grow up free of their doctrine..."

"Mmhmm." Her father nodded in agreement. "She wanted you to know there were different ways, maybe find a better path than the one she was forced onto." He swirled the brandy in his glass for a few moments. "Unfortunately, she was still trying to find that path for herself, and it led her to Korriban." His voice darkened at the memories, taking on a harsh edge that made the name of the planet sound like a curse. "I tried to tell her nothing good would come of it, a former Jedi handing herself over to the Sith like that, but she was stubborn. Said it would be best if she saw first what there was to learn from them before they came to take you away, if they ever learned of your abilities." Rynette sipped her drink, remembering how she had been instructed from youth to practice her talents only in absolute privacy, never letting them show in public. It had been one of the most difficult lessons she had to learn. All of that caution and discipline for nothing, though. They had found her, and now her path was set.

Her father continued, "I knew we would most likely never see her again, but she tried to keep hope alive. Her messages were always heavily encrypted, and even then she would send them in ancient, dead languages that most people probably wouldn't know existed, let alone understand. But she kept sending them regularly for several months. She told me about her initiation, how she had convinced the Academy officials she was just a former padawan who never passed her trials, and was joining from bitterness. Her admitted connection to the Jedi earned nothing more than jeers from the instructors and acolytes alike, and she accepted that, as well as having to start alongside the rest of the new recruits. Said that since she was learning a whole new view of the universe, it made sense to start at the beginning and build the foundations first. Also said that she could understand the jealousy of the others, and it just fueled her fire to continue on. She certainly seemed to take like a mynock to power cables to their teachings, and loved the philosophical discourse. Using one’s inner passions alongside the Force to guide it, rather than trying to bend it to a strict path of pure control, she said, made more sense, and I could tell she was excited. Her powers were actually growing, well beyond what the Jedi Council had expected of her, and that amazed and frightened her. And with good reason," her father frowned into his drink before taking a swallow. "It was bad enough she was a former Jedi, even if they only thought her a padawan, but now this... This increase in ability attracted some very unwelcome attention.

"There was one in particular, an Overseer Baras, she said was making things difficult. He'd show favoritism towards her in the lessons, which of course only made things worse with the other acolytes. He would call her out of group activities to personally test her mastery of the Force, having her perform levitation and object manipulation tricks that had been as easy as breathing to her for years. But during these displays, he would try and trip her up mentally with questions about Force theory, battle tactics, the effectiveness of current political strategies, and how the Sith code could be applied to various situations." He smiled ruefully over to his daughter. "Something else your mother bestowed upon you - the love of being challenged and succeeding."

Rynette smiled back, one hand toying with a loose lock of long, chestnut hair as she imagined her mother proving herself to the sneering Sith, and getting a kick out of doing so. "So what happened? Did they learn her true identity?" She bit her lower lip, shaking her head. "I know there was a temple collapse, and she died alongside so many-"

"Bah!" Her father spat, cutting her off, his tone bitter. "There was a temple collapse, all right, but only _after_ your mother's death, of that I'm certain." The furrow in his brow deepened. "I'm convinced this Overseer Baras was testing her only to see how far he could use her for his own ends. It must have been clear that she was already beyond the point of being easily manipulated, and thus, not as useful as he'd hoped. I think he knew a lot more about your mother than she realized... For a week I waited for her next message, and when none came, I knew she was lost to us." He glanced sideways at Rynette, who peered thoughtfully into the thin layer of amber-colored liquid left in her glass. "But you knew, before I did, I think right when it happened. You might remember, but were so young... you jumped out of a dead sleep one night, the same night as her message was supposed to come, screaming from the nightmares. Came running into my arms, sobbing that you wanted your mama," his voice was thick as he remembered the fear of seeing his child in such pain, "and I couldn't say a thing that would soothe you. Your mother, she could ease your mind through the Force when you couldn't sleep, but I had to make do distracting you with stories and stuffed osaurs." He shared a small regretful smile with his daughter. 

Ryn swallowed hard. She _did_ remember, was occasionally haunted by the nightmares still. They were reduced to only flickers of a memory during her normal dream cycles, but she would still see them. _**Flash** \- her mother, surrounded by about ten acolytes - **Flash** \- a crisp, autumn day on Alderaan, Ryn and her father enjoying a meal at an outdoor cafe when she was about twelve - **Flash** \- her mother, covered in blood and grinning triumphantly as blocks of sandstone rain down around her - **Flash** \- Ryn's first conscious attempts at juggling her toys with the Force when she's about six - **Flash** \- the sound of her mother's voice, humming a familiar lullaby, still loud in her ears years after her death. _ Shaking off the memories, she nods slowly. " I remember," she whispers, then lightly punches her father's arm, trying for a quick grin. "You weren't half-bad with those stories and osaurs, by the way. Don't sell yourself short." They both chuckle, and then she quiets, waiting for him to continue the story.

"Well, a few days later, we received her personal effects along with the official word. 'We, the administration of Korriban Academy for the Sith, regret to inform you,' bla bla bla... _Officially_ ," he sneered, "there was a temple collapse that caused the deaths of eleven acolytes. They said your mother was among them, performing one of her advancement trials, and made sure to elaborate on how necessary and dangerous these trials are, that only the best can rise to become Sith. I didn't believe their story then, and I certainly don't believe they just now happened to learn of you and your abilities." He gave his daughter a grim look. "I think you just became the next pawn in some Sith's holochess match, but I don't know why they would have waited so long to begin using you..."

Rynette frowned at her father sharply. It wasn't that he implied she was merely a piece to be moved on a board - she had grown up immersed in the understanding that every individual, no matter what their rank or station, was exactly that in the galactic scheme of things. She did, however, resent him ranking her so low on the pecking order. "I'll be nobody's _pawn_ , Dad. But your point is well-made," she conceded. "Do you think it's that Overseer Baras character, if he really did learn more about Mom's past?"

He shrugged. "Maybe... But fifteen years is an awfully long time to wait. I don't think most Sith have that level of patience," he mused. "If it is Baras, and if he has waited it out this long," he blew out a deep breath. "Just stay sharp and play safe, okay?"

She grinned at him, actually feeling a little of the forced bravado. "You know I learned how to avoid traps from the best teacher in the galaxy." She gave his arm a gentle nudge. "Besides, you were absolutely right about one thing." Her grey eyes lit up as she drained the last of the brandy. "I _do_ love a challenge."


End file.
